1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a new and improved system for processing passengers during check-in at commercial airports and provides a security check both of the passengers and their luggage with a minimum number of airport security personnel and in an efficient, unobtrusive and quick manner.
2. Prior Art Problem
A series of processes and security checks must be performed for various and known reasons in passenger processing at commerical airports, and it must be carried out for every passenger. First, there must be a determination that the passenger does have the proper tickets for the particular flight and his identity may be examined, if warranted, at such time. Furthermore, the large luggage carried by many passengers must be removed from the passenger's possession and stored in the cargo hold of the proper aircraft. The passenger himself must be bodily searched for prohibited objects, especially weapons. Any so-called hand or cabin luggage also must be searched for prohibited objects, again mostly for weapons. After that, care must be taken that the passenger boards the same plane in which his large luggage is stored so that the two travel together. For obvious security reasons, it is imperative that a passenger be prevented from having any luggage on a given plane without himself being on it. So long as the passenger line-up is slight there will be few difficulties encountered in performing the above verifications. However, if there is a large line-up of passengers, the security checks become time consuming, irritating and unpleasant for most passengers, and furthermore existing procedures for processing large numbers of passengers quickly in order to minimize the irritation, require an economically adverse expenditure in airport security personnel.